BACKGROUND: Reconstructive hair fibers are an innovative tool in cosmetic dermatology based on electrostatic adherent powder which bonds to the hair shaft and can disguise hair loss in men and women. AIM: This study aims to analyze and compare five different brands of organic hair fibers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to obtain amplified images of samples to study their shape and morphological structure...

In all cultures, human hair and hairdo have been a powerful metaphor. Tracing back the importance and significance of human hair to the dawn of civilization on the Indian subcontinent, we find that all the Vedic gods are depicted as having uncut hair in mythological stories as well as in legendary pictures. The same is true of the Hindu avatars, and the epic heroes of the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. Finally, there are a number of hair peculiarities in India pertinent to the creed and religious practices of the Hindu, the Jain, and the Sikh...

Mesotherapy (from Greek meso = in between, therapeia = treat) is a non-surgical, mostly cosmetic therapy, where active substances are injected intradermally into a depth of about 4 mm. It is an effective and easy-to-use method in the treatment of alopecia. It is effective both in the therapy of androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium. In recent years, it has been massively expanded also among non-medical fields, which has caused its contradictory perception by professional medical circles outside dermatologists...

Civilizational progress initially contributes to the problem of hair loss and then to alopecia as regards both frequency and therapeutic dilemmas. The work presents trichological problems which occur more rarely, i.e. drug-induced, anagen and telogen alopecia, congenital and acquired structural hair disorders, psychic disturbances concerning the hair as well as the hair during menopause. Then, the article briefly describes contagious (infectious) diseases as well as diseases with inflammatory etiology which are accompanied by exfoliation and (frequently) pruritus...

Primary scarring alopecias are a group of inflammatory conditions in which the main target of the inflammation is the hair follicle. They represent up to 7.3% of the hair loss cases presenting to specialty hair clinics. They are poorly understood, their pathogeneses are mostly unknown and their management is guided at best by the results of small case series and expert opinions. These alopecias are frequently referred to as a trichologic emergency as their progression can be rapid and the hair loss they induce is permanent...

CONTEXT: Although the primary cause of premature hair graying (PHG) is considered to be genetic, certain environmental factors also play a role. Trace element deficiencies such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, and calcium may also be associated with PHG. However, India-specific data are relatively sparse. AIMS: The present study aimed at identifying factors associated with PHG in Indian patients. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A case-control study was conducted at a trichology clinic in Bengaluru between October 2013 and April 2014 with a total of 37 cases of PHG and 37 age- and gender-matched controls...

BACKGROUND: In clinical trichology, reference values are often arbitrary. The difficulty in setting them up depends mostly on the presence of the androgenetic alopecia (AGA) genotype in subjects with clinically unapparent forms. Prepubertal children, who lack 5α-reductase (a real indicator of the AGA phenotype), might provide reference values independent from AGA. We verified whether the vertex/occiput ratios (V/O) of hair density and the V/O of hair diameter are suitable parameters...

BACKGROUND: The influence of systemic comorbidities on the success of scalp cooling during chemotherapy (CT) is widely unexplored. Comorbidities often require additional medication which itself can occasionally cause alopecia. This study investigates the influence of selected parameters on the efficacy of scalp cooling for the prevention of CT-induced alopecia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 226 cancer patients were treated with various CT regimens in combination with sensor-controlled scalp cooling...

Scarring or cicatricial alopecias represent a group of poorly understood and uncommon disorders that cause permanent hair loss. Scarring alopecias are regarded as trichologic emergencies as hair loss is irreversible, rapidly progressive, and can be disfiguring. Patients could experience tremendous anxiety, low self-esteem, and extreme psychosocial stress. Hence, prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment are essential in the management of active primary scarring alopecias as early intervention may slow down or prevent further hair loss...

The utility of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has spanned various fields of dermatology from chronic ulcer management to trichology and aesthetics, due to its role in wound healing. Though PRP is being used over a long time, there is still confusion over proper terminology to define, classify and describe the different variations of platelet concentrates. There is also a wide variation in the reported protocols for standardization and preparation of PRP, in addition to lack of accurate characterization of the tested products in most articles on the topic...

The history of trichology follows a thread that continually intersects with that of the history of medicine in general. Even Hippocrates believed that the approach to baldness should be of a medical nature. This confrontation between doctors and hair loss, which has lasted for five thousand years, begins with the invocations of the head physicians in the Egyptian era and ends with the recent institution of postgraduate Master's degrees at Faculties of Medicine and Surgery. The biggest names in medicine concerned themselves with trichology beginning with Hippocrates, who dealt with the topic in his most famous work: the Aphorisms...

CONTEXT: Although evidences for association of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are accruing, inconclusiveness with respect to the gender specificity and differential association of MetS with increasing severity of AGA continues to persist. Furthermore, data specific to Indian settings are relatively sparse. AIMS: The present study aimed at assessing the frequency of MetS in individuals with early AGA in Indian settings. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A case-control study was conducted at a trichology clinic in Bengaluru between April 2012 and September 2012 with a total of 85 cases of AGA and 85 age-matched controls...

Under the conditions of economic pressure in the medical system and the DRG system for hospitals in Germany, so-called "uneconomic" services and fields of specialized dermatologic competence such as pediatric dermatology, trichology, occupational dermatology and tropical dermatology are increasingly being neglected. While hospitals tend to train fewer residents in these subspecialties, there is a demand for additional high-quality training opportunities that are certified by the German Dermatologic Academy (DDA)...

BACKGROUND: In women with breast cancer, chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a highly feared but common side-effect of antineoplastic treatment. The onset, pattern and amount of hair loss differ depending on the therapy regimen and have not yet been quantified using standardized techniques. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate objectively and compare the effect of antineoplastic therapy with chemotherapy or tamoxifen on hair loss, quantifying trichological parameters. METHODS: Female patients with breast cancer were included (n = 34), who were receiving chemotherapy (group C, n = 17) or tamoxifen (group T, n = 17) after surgery...

Hair and scalp disorders represent a substantial complaint in most dermatologists' daily practice. Trichoscopy is a simple and easy-to-perform technique that has been utilized for diagnosis and management of these patients. The interest for this technique had increased in the last years, and knowledge had expanded. This article reviews the most important dermoscopic patterns in normal Caucasian and African scalp, as well as in the most common trichological conditions.